Potato digger



July 24, 1928.

L. V. THAYER POTATO BIGGER Filed Nov. 27, 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2' Patented Ju1y24, 1928.

)applicationmedmvemaer 2119126-, .serial NQ. 151,073.

"Thisf'invention relates to a 'fp'otato digger and lit consist-s'int'he novel features hereinafter described and laimed. i f y n 4 D' H An object off the invention isftoy'pro'vlde a potato digging machine of .simple and durable structure adapted ito be dravvnby draft anima-'lsor "a-tractor and 'having Its artsand elementsso arranged and fassem'- led 'that the Lpotatoes 4are felevatedf over' a scoop "and deposited finto afy revolving 3 shaker whi'ehfseparajtes ,thesoil from the lpotatoes and deposits the g} i ta'.toes i upon the surface of'the soil." .v .n

A further object of the lnvention-isto providejnewfand eiiicient means ,forrsupportv ing and/operating 'the revolving .shaker wherebyr the parts maybe easily 'and readily adjusted so that the scoopmayfbe lifted` above the surface .of :the:soil-orl'lowered vto. a position at :a desined ,depthffbelow thefsur-' face of the soil.

f Other objects and advantagesj ibe'ma'de manifest as the descriptionlof invention Figure 1 'is a longitudinal sectional view i i of the potato digger.

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the same. se

Figure 3 is a side elevational viewofthe same, and 7' Figure 4 is a fragmentary 'sectional view of the potato digger cut on the line 4 4 of Figure 3. Y

As illustrated 'in the accompanying draw-V ings the potato digger comprises an axle 1 mounted upon ground engaging wheels. 2. An arch member 3 is mounted upon'the axle 1 and a seat 4 is carried at the upper intermediate portion of the said arch member. A beam 5 is mounted at its rear end upon the archmember 3 and a shaft 6 Ais journaled in the forward portion of the beam.

The shaft 6 is vertically disposed and carries at its intermediate portion a clevis 7. rAn axle 8 is connected with the lower end of the shaft 6 and truck wheels 9 are journaled upon the ends of the axle 8. A yoke 11 is carried at the intermediate portions of the shaft 6. A frame 12 is mounted at its rear end upon the axle 1 and is connected at its forward end with the yoke 11. K

Arms 13 are pivotally connected at their rear end with the axle 1 and the said arms are connected at their forward ends with a scoop member 14.k The scoop member 14 is of the 'pinion 23 and the wheell 24.

preferably circular in fo-rm and is provided at its forward edge and at its lower side with alip 115.1 A lever 16 is pivoted yupn the 'fintermediate Aportion ofthe beam 5 and `achain 17 1s connec-tcdfat one-Tend withethc lleve/r' 16 and atits other rend with thescoop member y 1,4. lt is .apparent .that by swingingythe lever 16 `the scoop member 14 maybe raised or lowered. Alsubstantlally arcuate guide member 18 is'jconnected withthe upper por f tion of "the scoopu member 14 by means ofank arm 19. t. Said guide member is attached at lends tothe upper larms 13 as best shown 1ny F igure '4,fofthe drawings.V

.. A 1111111119 is.pivotallyjmounted.upon `the.. nite-rnr hate portionof the axle landa shaft 20is Y i l fined `to tl faXlelanditsteeth mesh with a to the shaft of thebeveledQpinion x23 andia' sprocket chain 25 is trained around the sprocket wheels 21 and 24. A block 24y mounted upon thevaXle l supports the shaft Thus, as the axle 1 rotatesrotary movement is transmitted throughthe beveled gearrwheel 22 urnaled inthe upper jportion ofthe .f 11.111119. The forward endlofthe sha-ft20'is` 'journal'ed onmthefarcuate lmember ,18.1 A Vsijnocket wheel-21 is fixed kto Vthe re-trend of the shaft lfbeveledgearfwheel22 is and pinion 23 to ,the sprocket wheel 24 which Y movesthe chain 25 inan orb-it and the shaft 2OA is rotated. Spaced guide-rollers 26 are carried by the; arch member 18 and guide rollers 27 are carried by the lower arms13.

' A rotating shaker' 28 is provided at its for` ward end with an annular band 29 having an outstafndingy annular flange 30 which bears against the peripheries of the rollers 26 and 27.l The rollers 26 andV 27 are grooved toreceive the 'Harige 30 whereby the band 29l is heldv against lateii'al movement with relation to the rollers. The rotating shaker `also Ain!` c-ludes spaced teeth 31 which are attached at their forward end yto the band 29. A band '32 surrounds the intermediate portion of the group of teeth 31A and is provided with outstanding sprocket teeth 33. A sprocket wheel v34 is'mounted upon the. intermediate `v portion of the sha-ft 20 and a sprocket chain 35 is trained around the sprocket wheel 34 and the band 32 andis adapted to engage the teeth 33 Vof the. said band.

The rotating shaker 28` is downwardly and `rearwardly inclined and its lowerv forward edge is located; just behind the scoop member 14. The scoop member 14 is downwardly inclined toward the rotating shaker.

'.lherefoii'c, as the machine is drawn along a row of potatoes and when the scoop member y'14: is lowered the lip passes under the potatoes in the soil and the potatoes are lifted and deposited into the shaker 28. When the shaker 2S is rotated by the chain 35 the :lirt is separa-ted from the potatoes and passes through the spaces betwen the. teeth 31 and talls to the lground. The potatoes roll to the rear end ot the teeth 31 and fall to the ground and are deposited upon the upper surface of the soil and may be subsequent-ly gathered in any suitable manner. By lifting the lever 16 the lip 15 may be positioned at any desired step below the surface of the soil and the lever 16 may be moved so as to lift the lip 15 of the scoop completely above the surface ot the soil.

The relative. rate of speed at which the rotating sh aker 28 revolves with relation to the speed of travel of the machine may be regu lated by varyingthe relative proportion of the sprocket wheels 21 and 24 by removing the sprocket wheels and substituting wheels ot different diameters upon their respect-ive shaft supports.

From the 'foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying specilication it will be seen that a potato digger ot' simple and durable structure is provided and' that the same may be easily and conveniently adjusted to lift the potatoes above the surface of the so-il, separate the soil from the potatoes and deposit Vthe cleaned potatoesupon the surface ot the soil.

F rom the foregoing description of the construction of my improved device, it will he seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and e'llicient means for carrying out the objects of the invention.

lVhile I have particularly described the elemei'its best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of constructionl may be resorted to without departing from thel spirit or sacriv licing any of the principles of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is: c y

A potato digger comprising a frame mounted upon front and rear wheel supported axles, arms pivoted tothe rear` axle, lower guide rollers carried by certain of the arms, a scoop connected with the arms, means mounted upon the iframe for raising andV lowering the scoop, 'a shaft'supported transversely above the rear axler and disposed longitudinally of the trame, means'for rotating the sha't from the rear axle, an arcuate guidey member supported upon the arms and having a beziring receiving said shaft, upper guide rollers carried by the guide member, a rotating shaker mounted between the lower and upper guide rollers and means for operating the shaker from the shaft. y

In testimony whereof I aiixmy signature.

Y LOU V. THAYER. 

